Behind Closed Doors (11 page)

“Leave it on if you want. I don’t mind,” she said, finally noticing that his jeans were black and his white shirt was a traditional button-down and not Western. “Where are we going?”

“My place.” Briefly taking his eyes off the road, he glanced at her. “I think it’s our best bet for now.”

“The Lucky 7? Seriously?”

“Are you disappointed?”

She was staring with her mouth open. “No, it’s not that—I thought we agreed to keep things on the down low.”

“My men got paid today. Most of them are at the Watering Hole or in Kalispell. Woody’s playing poker with a couple of the old-timers in the bunkhouse. Nobody will know you’re there.”

“Someone is bound to see me.”

“The garage is attached to the house.”

She had to think about this. She really did need this thing between them to be private. Candace, with her unhealthy attachments to the wrong men, was a bad enough example. Liberty didn’t need to see Beth having a fling, especially with someone who was cutting Liberty a break—she didn’t want her niece to think she was buying favors.

“All right, I see you’re hesitant about my place,” Nathan said. “So let’s talk about it. Kalispell is still an option. It’s a lot bigger than Blackfoot Falls. That doesn’t eliminate the risk of being seen, but it’s more likely we wouldn’t.”

“No, I trust you know best about this. I’m probably being overly cautious. Only because of Liberty. She’s never really had a good role model.” Beth wasn’t in the habit of walking into a prearranged sexual relationship. What if tonight went badly? What if his kinks and hers didn’t mesh? This thing between them could be over in an hour, never to be repeated.

To her relief, he let the subject drop and they made small talk for the remainder of the ride. Before she knew it, they were on the grounds of the Lucky 7, then pulling into the garage and parking next to a green Range Rover.

Still, she didn’t breathe easy until they’d entered the house through the laundry room and ended up in the big modern kitchen. It was as gorgeous as the other parts of the house, with gleaming stainless-steel appliances and tons of beautiful peachy-brown granite. Someone sure liked to cook. As if the crazy expanse of countertops weren’t enough, there was also an oversize island, an additional sink and a grill with warming tray.

A lot of thought had been put into the design, not just in the kitchen but throughout what she could see of the rest of the house. One casually elegant room spilled into the next. From the kitchen she saw a massive stone fireplace, two large sofas and a flat-screen TV that was so big it had to be brand-new technology.

“I hope you’re hungry,” Nathan said, tossing his keys on the counter near the phone. “Kitty made enough food for the whole county.”

“Did she know you were having company?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” He ran a hand through his hair and frowned. “She might suspect, but you don’t have to worry about her gossiping.”

“I’m glad. It seems I’m under the careful watch of everyone in Blackfoot Falls. Makes sense, since I’m the new kid in town.” Beth moved closer to the stove and sniffed the large covered casserole that sat on top. “Please tell me this is lasagna.”

Looking up just in time to see his rugged jaw clench, food slipped her mind for a second. Damn, he had a great face. Great body. Great everything. “Go ahead and have a look,” he said.

She did just that, peeling back the foil at the corner. Wow. “I haven’t eaten all day. I’m starving.”

“You wear heels that high often?”

She glanced at him, startled. “Not lately. I wouldn’t have worn them tonight except—” Her thoughts scattered when he started toward her. She leaned back and braced her hands on the counter.

Something dark and predatory flared hot in his eyes. His gaze briefly swept her shirt, the stretchy material pulled tight across her breasts. Whatever he had in mind, there wasn’t a lasagna in the whole world that could compete. Swallowing, she waited for him to make his next move.

He stopped short of touching her. “Except what?”

Blinking away the brain fog took a moment. “I usually can’t wear them on dates,” she said, her voice low, barely audible. “They make me too tall for most men.”

“You are tall,” he whispered, putting his hands on her waist and meeting her eyes. Then he lowered his gaze to her mouth. “How about some wine? Or something harder, if you prefer.”

“Wine is good.”

“White or red?”

“Don’t care.”

“Music?” His grip on her waist tightened for an instant and then relaxed. “I have country, jazz, classic rock...” He cleared his throat as he stepped back. “You could go choose something while I open a bottle of merlot.” He yanked open the closest drawer and rummaged around. “The CDs are in the den,” he said, motioning with his chin toward the room with the TV.

“Okay.” She could’ve sworn he’d been about to kiss her. Was it the stupid gloss holding him back? She’d forgotten about it and took a quick swipe with her tongue. It felt as if she’d already licked most of it off.

He let out a laugh, or maybe it was a groan. “You’re not making this easy.”

“What? What did I do?” she asked, catching his arm when he turned away.

“I’m trying to be a gentleman.”

Beth didn’t understand. “That’s—that’s very nice.” She let go. “I think.”

Slowly he brought out a pair of wineglasses from an upper cabinet. “Not interested in music?” he asked without looking at her.

“Oh, music. Right.” Still confused, she started toward the den. He obviously had no trouble initiating a kiss. He’d proved that in his office earlier.

She spotted the rows of CDs right away, neatly stored in racks built into the wall and grouped by genre and artist. It was quite a collection. Along with a selection of DVDs...a whole bunch of them. A lot were old films, some black-and-white, but the musical classics were a surprise. She wouldn’t have guessed they were Nathan’s. They must have belonged to his wife.

Beth turned around and studied the room. The Roman shades, designer furniture, art pieces...even the lamps had a different feel from the way Nathan’s office was decorated. All this was his wife’s work. Beth would bet anything that nothing had been changed or moved in three years.

Now she understood why she’d had trouble reading Nathan earlier. Having her here in his wife’s domain probably felt awkward for him.

“Finding anything you like?” he called from the kitchen.

She spun back to the CD selection. “Bob Seger, if that’s okay with you.”

“Sounds good.”

It was the first name Beth saw. She started the CD, and relaxed at the deep, raspy voice. Too late, she realized she could’ve loaded more than one CD, then was distracted by the floor-to-ceiling shelves to the left of the fireplace where a framed photo caught her attention.

The beautiful woman with the blue eyes and upswept auburn hair had to be his wife. Beth ducked to get a closer look without handling the intricate silver frame. Boy, did the camera love her. With her flawless skin and perfect bow lips, she could’ve been a model.

Beth switched her gaze to the next photo. It was the same woman, only this photo was candid, a full body shot, and she was really petite. Probably no more than five feet. So much for a modeling career. She was still beautiful, and clearly the type of woman Nathan preferred. It shouldn’t have mattered to Beth. And it didn’t. As long as the sex was good, that was all she cared about....

“Here’s your wine.”

At the sound of his voice directly behind her, she nearly jumped into the next decade.

“I called from the kitchen. I guess you didn’t hear me over the music. You okay?”

She gave a jerky nod, realized her hand had flown to her throat and lowered it to take the glass from him. “Thanks. I was just checking out your books.” Beth sighed. “And the photos.”

Nathan smiled. “Yes,” he said, not looking the least upset.

“Yes?” she echoed, not knowing what he meant.

“Those two photos are of Anne. My late wife. I’m sure you’re curious, and I wanted you to know it’s all right to ask.”

Beth glanced back at the other framed photographs scattered along three shelves. She hadn’t paid attention to them, but something he’d said made her look more closely. The rest of the pictures had to be of Nathan’s family—the resemblances were too strong not to be. There were no more shots of Anne, just the two. And not a single one of Nathan and Anne together.

“Are those your brothers?” Beth asked, hoping he wouldn’t think she’d fixated on his dead wife.

He picked up a photo of two teenagers wearing football jerseys and big grins. They were holding up a trophy, or more aptly, playing a game of tug-of-war with it. Nathan grinned. “How could you tell?”

Smiling back, she relaxed. “When was it taken?”

“They were still in high school.” He studied the photograph, the fondness in his eyes tinged with sadness. Then he blinked and it was gone. “About thirteen years ago.”

“So they’re both younger than you.”

“Clint is two years behind me,” he said, returning the photo to the shelf. “Seth is the baby.”

“I’m sure he loves you referring to him exactly like that.”

“Hell, he had a few names for me I wasn’t too fond of.”

“Care to share?”

A faint smile curving his mouth, he took her glass from her.

“Hey...I’ve only had two sips.”

He set their glasses next to the CD player and turned the volume down a bit.

She knew what he was going to do and beat him to it by sliding her arms around his neck. “I thought we were going to eat.”

“This is the appetizer.” His hands went to her waist and he pulled her against him as he bent his head.

His lips were warm and sure as they moved over her mouth. She pushed her fingers into his hair and felt his tongue run across the seam of her lips. He kept going, tracing the curve of her jaw with the tip of his tongue, then finding that sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder met.

He brushed her hair out of the way, letting it fall down her back, then followed the scoop of her neckline with his mouth. Pleasure shimmered through her. The musky scent of his heated skin was like a drug invading her system, making her weak and lethargic. She wound her arms tighter around his neck, hanging on to him for support, clutching at his hair. She hadn’t intended to force his head up.

Nathan pulled his mouth away and looked at her. His lips were damp, his eyes dark with desire.

Beth was starting to lean in for more when her stomach gurgled loudly enough they both heard it.

He closed his eyes for a second before letting her go. “We don’t have to do anything tonight but eat and talk. I’d meant to say that before.”

“I’m worried you’re finding it more difficult having me here than you thought.” She carefully studied his face, but he wasn’t giving anything away. “If that’s the case, I’ve heard I make a decent friend.”

“You always run around saving people?”

Now she saw that he didn’t seem upset at all. Maybe he was trying to be a gentleman and not rush her, just as he’d said.

“As a matter of fact, yes. Except I used to get paid for it.”

“What is it you used to do?”

“Event planner. I started out arranging corporate meetings, but we did some weddings and parties as a favor to corporate clients. The money was ridiculously good, so we branched out.”

“We?” He brought down plates from an upper cabinet. “You had a partner?”

“No, Fritz was my boss. He taught me everything I know about the business. I gave him plenty of notice before leaving, but he acts as if I deserted him.” She leaned a hip on the island and sipped her wine. “He’s also convinced I’ll come to my senses and ask for my job back.”

“Think you will?”

She laughed. “I might wise up and lock Liberty in her room until she’s thirty, but go back to event planning? Not a chance. After living out of a suitcase for ten years, I’ve had enough.” She noticed the three bar stools pushed under the lip of the island. “Should I set the table, or do you want to eat here?”

He seemed distracted, then glanced toward the open dining room where a beautiful cherry table with eight upholstered chairs had center stage. A matching china hutch had been placed against the wall shared with the kitchen.

Beth pressed her lips together. “Did you forget you have a dining room table?”

“Go ahead...laugh.”

She blinked. “You did? Seriously?” She searched his face. He had to be teasing her.

“I usually eat in my office,” he muttered, making a racket pulling out the silverware and keeping his back to her.

“Nathan.”

“Mind getting the napkins? They’re in the drawer to your right.”

Watching him do his best to ignore her, she struggled between dropping the subject and needling him.

She walked around the island, recalling how he’d had trouble finding the corkscrew. A weird feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Had he become a stranger in his own home? As soon as she saw his expression she knew. “You weren’t kidding, were you?”

“Why is this an issue?” he muttered.

“I’m sorry. It’s not. Your house is so amazing, and all these huge windows... It’s dark so I can’t see the view, but I bet it’s spectacular. It feels as if I’m at a fancy retreat or a spa. I could never take a house like this for granted—” She stopped. Winced at the implication.

Nathan just shook his head and picked up the lasagna. He didn’t seem angry or annoyed or much of anything. For a second she thought she saw a hint of amusement in his face, but she wasn’t sure.

“You know what, Bethany?” he said, stopping right in front of the table. “You’re a fascinating woman. I’m glad you’re here. But I have to confess, sometimes I just don’t know what the hell to do with you.”

His confession did wonderful things for her nerves. She hadn’t felt so flustered on a date since her early teens. Maybe it was because she’d expected a discreet dinner and a more discreet motel? Or maybe it was the fact that he was so damned enigmatic.

On the other hand, she’d always liked puzzles.

9

N
ATHAN CARRIED THE
food to the table, silently acknowledging that it had been too long since he’d been with a woman who wasn’t Anne.